1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to storage and/or holding systems for heating and/or cooling products contained therein, such as food products, medical products, laboratory products, chemicals, and the likes, and more particularly to systems for storing such products at a particular temperature warmer or cooler than the surrounding ambient temperature.
2. Description of the Background of the Invention
Warren U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,096 discloses a modular food container system for heating or refrigerating foods for use in restaurant buffet bars and the like. The food container system includes a plurality of food storage receptacles for receiving food and a plurality of receptacle temperature maintaining storage modules. Each temperature maintaining storage module is configured to receive a food storage receptacle and to thermally communicate therewith. Each temperature maintaining storage module is fluidly connected to adjacent temperature maintaining storage modules, and a refrigeration or heating device is operatively coupled thereto to provide thermal exchange fluid to each temperature maintaining storage module. Each temperature maintaining storage module includes a heat exchange device, such as a heat exchange tube with heat sink fins, disposed between an insulating outside wall and a thermally conductive inside wall. In another embodiment, thermal exchange fluid is pumped directly into a hollow space between the inside wall and the outside wall and directly contacts the inside wall, and baffles are attached to the inside wall. A thermostat regulates the temperature of each temperature maintaining storage module independent of the temperature of adjacent temperature maintaining storage modules.